In an interview posted to Yahoo Finance on July 21, 2016, Bill Macaulay, the chairman of the Macaulay Honors College Foundation Board, discussed why he donated $30 million to make the college possible. Andy Serwer, Yahoo Finance’ editor-in-chief, conducted the interview.

In a culmination of the 15-year anniversary of the William E. Macaulay Honors College at The City University of New York, Chancellor James B. Milliken has named Dr. Mary Corliss Pearl as Dean of the college. Dr. Pearl, who has served as Interim Dean of Macaulay Honors College since Jan. 30, 2016, was selected following a national search. Her appointment is subject to approval by the CUNY Board of Trustees.

“Dr. Pearl is a distinguished scientist, environmentalist and educator who has demonstrated exemplary leadership in a number of significant positions, including provost and Interim Dean at Macaulay,” said Chancellor Milliken. “She is deeply committed to expanding opportunities for the highest-quality college experience for some of New York’s most talented and academically gifted. Since its launch in 2001, the Honors College has been enormously successful, attracting increasing numbers of top students to a program that prepares them well for top graduate and professional schools and exciting careers.”

Dr. Pearl expressed appreciation for the appointment and looks forward to beginning the next phase of the future of Macaulay Honors College: “I am thrilled to be able to advance my efforts on behalf of Macaulay. Nothing is more satisfying to me than being able to transform the lives of New York’s most promising students. I look forward to working with a wonderful team of students, faculty, staff, board members, advisors, and volunteers to ensure that our students have every opportunity to achieve their dreams. It is hard to imagine a more worthy investment in the future of New York than to build Macaulay into the finest honors college anywhere.”

CUNY Board Chairperson William Thompson also expressed support for the appointment: “As I have become familiar with Dr. Pearl’s record at Macaulay and elsewhere, I am convinced she’s the right leader for our Honors College today. She and the Chancellor are committed to an agenda that will not only continue to improve the Macaulay experience but find ways to expand its reach to even more deserving New Yorkers.”

Macaulay Honors College Foundation Board and City College alumnus Chairman William E. Macaulay ’66 praised Dean Pearl’s appointment: “I have been working closely with Dr. Pearl and have appreciated her commitment and enthusiasm for the students and their academic and personal growth. I look forward to continuing our efforts to provide a stellar environment for New York’s highest achieving students.”

In 2006, the college was designated the William E. Macaulay Honors College after a $30 million gift from Macaulay and his wife Linda.

The search committee that identified Dr. Pearl as a finalist consisted of CUNY Trustees, faculty, students, a CUNY college president and two members of the Macaulay Honors College Foundation board of directors. Charles Shorter, a member of the CUNY Board of Trustees who served as chair of the search committee for the new Macaulay dean said: “I could not be more pleased with the appointment of the next dean. The search committee considered many outstanding candidates from around the country and always considered Mary Pearl to be among the top candidates. The fact that she has demonstrated her commitment to Macaulay and CUNY over the last few years is a huge plus as she hits the ground running as dean.”

Macaulay student Sara Louie ‘17 (City College), the first president of the school’s Scholars Council, and a member of the dean’s search committee, praised the appointment of Dr. Pearl: “It’s the personal touch that really makes Dean Pearl stand out. Her weekly ‘It’s Friday!’ emails to students make us feel part of something more. In the building, it’s not uncommon to see Dr. Pearl talking to students or stopping by an event. Her willingness to listen to students personally and support their aspirations makes her stand out. I can’t wait to see where Macaulay goes under her leadership.”

During her tenure at Macaulay Honors College as provost and interim dean, Dr. Pearl has created and secured funding for Macaulay’s New Media & Digital Content Lab, new curriculums in multidisciplinary science, computer science, and data analytics, and new programs in study abroad and writing improvement. She has raised millions in grant support for execution of Macaulay programs. Dr. Pearl also started and secured a grant last year to pay for an improved pre-health career advisement program.

Prior to her leadership at Macaulay, Dr. Pearl served as the founding dean and administrative vice president of Stony Brook University Southampton. For 15 years, she was president of the EcoHealth Alliance, a global organization dedicated to innovative conservation science, where Dr. Pearl helped build careers of local scientists and educators in twenty high-biodiversity countries around the world and created innovative research programs. The organization grew tenfold during her tenure.

Newsweek magazine praised Dr. Pearl as a leading biologist who has “spearheaded the development of ‘conservation medicine’ – a scientific exploration of the links between the health of humans, wildlife and ecosystems.” She is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She received her undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Yale University, and holds an honorary doctorate from Marist College.

The Macaulay Honors College was designed in collaboration with CUNY’s senior colleges to offer exceptional advising, hands-on internships and research opportunities, global learning opportunities, and a commitment to provide the skills and experiences for each student to excel in college and beyond.

Macaulay has grown from an inaugural class of 189 to a current student body of more than 2,000 students. Some 28 nationalities are represented in a recent freshman class of 548, and approximately 60 percent of Macaulay’s students are either immigrants or the children of immigrants. Macaulay students have received offers and fellowships to top graduate and professional schools, including Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Duke, Stanford, the University of California/Berkeley, CUNY and Oxford. Among the awards and honors won by Macaulay students are Rhodes, Truman, Goldwater, Fulbright, Salk, Coro, Beinecke, National Science Foundation, and NYC Urban Fellowships.

Parents of the Macaulay Class of 2020 are invited to meet Mary Pearl, Dean; Joseph Ugoretz, Senior Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning, and Interim Chief Academic Officer; and Macaulay team members (it takes a village!) who are committed to your child’s undergraduate success. After mingling with fellow parents as well as parents from other class years over light refreshments, you’ll learn more about what we do to provide the best possible experience for every Macaulay student.

Please note: Parents’ Night is for parents/guardians; students will be welcomed at student-specific activities throughout the year.

We will be selling Macaulay t-shirts, mugs, and car decals. (We prefer payment by cash or check).

Of all the resources that become available to a scholar entering Macaulay Honors College, the most important are not the databases, libraries, lounges or lecture halls, but the people. The professors, students, administrators and staff who come into a young person’s life are the most influential part of the college experience. Together, the student body makes new connections that spark ideas that will form lasting impressions and lifelong connections that will elevate the individual into a higher state of ability and creativity.

One of the inspirational figures that come into a young collegian’s life is Joseph Ugoretz, Associate Dean of Teaching, Learning and Technology at Macaulay. Students first encounter Ugoretz at the three-day orientation program. Not only will he meet many incoming freshmen in person, but he also coordinates the Tech Day portion of orientation, where students receive their free laptops.

Utilizing Macaulay’s team of Instructional Technology Fellows (ITFs), Ugoretz oversees Tech Day workshops where students learn to use their new laptops, utilize resources through their devices, open their Macaulay e-mail accounts and e-portfolios, and develop their own digital identities. “The Instructional Technology Fellows are a critical ingredient allowing our students and faculty to push the boundaries of innovation in teaching and learning with technology. They focus on instructional goals and learning objectives, choosing the right tools for the right purposes and helping students and professors alike make the best use of those tools.”

The ITFs are a team of 30 doctoral students who report to and work closely with Ugoretz, on all matters related to teaching and tech, such as integrating technology into the curricula, mentoring students on usage, and being available to students with technology issues or multimedia projects. The ITFs run the Tech Day and other workshops and work closely with new students on a one-to-one basis in understanding and getting the most out of their technology.

The finale of orientation is A Night at the Museum, where newly-inducted Macaulay scholars spend an evening at a museum to discuss the artwork and develop their social media skills in discussing the work. Students from all Macaulay campuses take over a museum, such as The Brooklyn Museum, to create their first media projects, some of which can be seen on the Media Arts webpage.

Ugoretz also teaches Macaulay Seminar 1, The Arts in New York City, at Brooklyn College, which introduces students to the rich tapestry of culture in the metropolis. The students visit museums and visual arts exhibits and attend theater, opera and musicals, developing a greater understanding of the arts by immersing themselves through experience, critique, discussion — ultimately curating their own “Snapshot of New York” multimedia exhibit.

What is Ugoretz’ approach to learning? “When you’re working with honors students,” he says, “the best approach is to let them be active in their education. We ask them questions and let them be involved in designing the course, developing the connections to other courses and to the world outside the classroom.”

On the eve of Wednesday, January 29, members of Macaulay Honors College’s senior class, representing seven campuses and their families, gathered at the Graduate Center for a celebration of their last semester as Macaulay undergrads. Senior Night is an annual event that kicks off the festivities leading up to the long awaited Commencement ceremony in June.

The evening began with a reception complete with live music provided by the Macaulay Musicians’ Collective, a photo booth, and delicious refreshments while students and families connected with staff, campus advisors and directors and Macaulay alumni. Then everyone headed into the auditorium for a rousing performance by The Macaulay Triplets and a program hosted by Dan Blondell ’10 (Hunter College), President of the Macaulay Honors College Alumni Association Board.

The program’s theme, “Looking Back, Moving Forward”, was brought home by Dawn Alterman P’13, ’14 (Hunter College) who spoke about her experience as a Macaulay parent, a video featuring seniors sharing their experiences and triumphs at Macaulay and remarks from Dean Kirschner who reminded students to remember where they came from, their accomplishments and even the times they stumbled as those are the moments we learn from the most.

Media pioneer, Albie Hecht gave the keynote address encouraging students to engage in their worldly pursuits with humor and playfulness. Hecht is the Executive Vice President and General Manager of HLN (TV Channel) and the Founding Director of the New Media Lab at Macaulay. He is most well known for overseeing the development and production of SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, and the live-action show All That at Nickelodeon. Most recently Shine Global, a non-profit production company Hecht co-founded, won an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short, for Inocente. Albie concluded his remarks by quoting influential characters from the modern lexicon, including the great Professor Dumbledore.

The program concluded with a presentation of student awards for achievement:

The Macaulay Community Service Award recognizes outstanding volunteer service work that exemplifies Macaulay’s belief that every student must challenge him or herself to improve the lives of others. This award honors students who have served the Macaulay, CUNY and greater New York communities with selflessness and distinction.

The Macaulay Legacy Award recognizes exceptional co-curricular contributions to the Macaulay and CUNY communities that have provided both a vision and a template for future student activities and outreach.

The Spirit of Macaulay Award is presented to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution within and beyondthe Macaulay and CUNY communities that have provided both a vision and a template for future student activities and outreach. Recipient Patryk Perkowski (Queens College) also made an appearance onstage during the program to encourage seniors to contribute $20.14 to the senior class gift to give back and support future Macaulay students.

The Bruno Salazar Alumni Network Award was named in honor of Bruno Salazar ’10 (City College) for his courageous tenacity in the face of challenging circumstances. The “Salazar Award” is awarded to a senior who has demonstrated exceptional achievement and personal character above and beyond all expectations. This year, two recipients were honored and we were fortunate to have Bruno in attendance to present the award to Kelly DePietro and Kunzah Syed both of The College of Staten Island.

]]>Snapshot 2010http://macaulay.cuny.edu/community/parents/snapshot-2010/
Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:39:53 +0000http://macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/parents/?p=8All are welcome to attend the event on December 12 at Macaulay Honors College
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